Sylvan Highlands neighbors face a Sept. 17 hearing as a developer appeals Washington County's rejection of 236 apartments near SW 61st Drive.

As we reported Sept. 1, Washington County denied Tandem Property's application for the units just west of the Sylvan Highlands neighborhood boundary. The developer has since appealed that decision.

A public hearing is set for Thursday, Sept. 17, at 1 p.m. via Zoom before the county's Hearings Officer, according to SHNA's website. The Sylvan Highlands Neighborhood Association is now asking residents to show up and help fund the legal fight.

The association said in a Sept. 2 update, written by Sarah Harrington, that it needs continued financial support to cover legal fees tied to the appeal. SHNA has set up a restricted fund specifically for the apartment fight, separate from its general operating budget. Donations can be made at sylvanhighlands.org/ways-to-donate.

Stuart Rosenfeld, a SW 61st Drive resident who serves as SHNA's Land Use Chair, has led the neighborhood's opposition since the project was first proposed. Rosenfeld presented the full development proposal with maps at a July 22 community meeting at Sunlight Co-housing Development on SW Barnes Road. The association praised him in its update as a tenacious advocate who led the opposition from the start.

The fight is not over.

Washington County's Hearings Officer schedule confirms hearings take place on the third Thursday of each month in a virtual format. Written comments can be submitted through Sept. 17, or residents can testify during the hearing itself. SHNA said it will share specific details on how to participate once those are available.

No public statement from Tandem Property regarding the appeal appears in county records as of Sept. 2. The specific grounds for the county's denial have not been made public in accessible form, though SHNA's post references a Notice of Decision and Staff Report.

What to know

  • What: Public hearing on Tandem Property's appeal of the denied 236-unit apartment project west of SW 61st Drive
  • When: Thursday, Sept. 17, 1 p.m.
  • Format: Zoom (link not yet posted)
  • Written comments: Accepted through Sept. 17
  • Donate: sylvanhighlands.org/ways-to-donate